


A Second Chance

by An_Old_Yet_Young_Soul



Category: Sally Face (Video Games)
Genre: M/M, Sal and Larry are good dads, This is me ignoring chapter 4 with all my might, and they love their ghost daughter very much
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-23 17:09:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17687510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/An_Old_Yet_Young_Soul/pseuds/An_Old_Yet_Young_Soul
Summary: "This is my family. I found it all on my own. It's little, and broken, but still good." Lilo & Stitch, 2002What was supposed to be a routine visit to see Megan quickly became the oddest and one of the best days of Sal's life. The little girl is alive again. Somehow, some way. And Sal is determined that this time around she'll get to grow up happy and safe.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This brainchild is dedicated to zombiehandzzz on tumblr. Her one shot book on wattpad helped me write this, and to you, my friend, I thank you.

It started slowly.  
Megan became a little less transparent, a little easier to hear, and she was summoned easier as well.  
Sal and Larry thought nothing of it. Perhaps the little ghost child had gotten the hang of being a ghost finally.  
However, that all changed when Sal went up to talk to her one morning, and Megan was already sitting in the bathtub, shivering and sniffling.

"Megan?" Sal called her name gently, looking down at the little girl who seemed to be...solid?

"Sally Face...I'm cold." Megan whimpered, and the sneezed.

The sound and action seemed to surprise them both, and Megan jumped.

"I haven't been cold in a long time..." she said.  
Sal looked her up and down, and carefully reached into the bathtub to pick up the little girl.  She was warm and solid in his arms and reminded him of Soda. But Megan was far too warm, almost feverish.

It was almost like...

Sal shifted Megan in his arms, placing two fingers against her neck, just under her jaw.  
Sure enough, there was a pulse.

“Your hands are cold,” Megan groaned, snuggling her face into Sal's shoulder. She gave a sniffle, and then a cough, and Sal realized she was probably sick.

“Megan, how long have you been feeling like this?” he asked.

“S-since yesterday. My tummy hurts too…”

That could be because she was hungry, and the illness all at once.

The technicalities of how this had happened at the back of Sal's mind though. Right now, what mattered was getting Megan warm and well again.

“Megan, I’m going to take you to my apartment, ok? And when we get there, I’ll give you something for your tummy.” Sal tried to remember the last time he had been sick as a child, and the thought brought the pain with it at the memory of his mother, sitting by his bedside and running a cool cloth over his face.

Megan nodded, and let Sal carry her out of the bathroom and then out of the apartment.

Sal had half expected to not be able to leave while holding her, but Megan stayed solid in his arms and nothing bared his path.

Soon enough, the two arrived at 402, and Sal made a beeline for his room, setting Megan down on the bed and going through his drawers for something for her to wear.

An old t-shirt and a pair of boxers were all he had, but they were clean and that was what mattered.

“Can you lift your arms for me, Megan? I’ve got some new clothes for you.”

Megan obliged and let Sal dress her. She was tired, her head hurt, and her stomach was twisting. She hardly realized she wasn’t in her apartment anymore. All she knew was that Sal had brought her somewhere warm, and now he was carrying her again.

She was set down somewhere soft, and a something cool and damp was placed on her forehead. A wet cloth.

“Hang in there, Megan. Sally Face is gonna take good care of you.” Sal whispered before moving to the kitchen and heating up some of the chicken noodle soup his father had purchased a few days ago.

Balancing the bowl in one hand and a glass of apple juice in the other, Sal made his way back to the couch, where Gizmo had made himself at home against Megan’s side.

The cat meowed at him, and Sal gave him a scratch behind the ears after setting the food down.

“Megan, I need you to sit up, ok?” he said.

Megan groaned but did as she was asked, leaning back against the arm of the couch as Sal took a spoonful of the soup, blew on it, and lifted it to her lips.

“Here comes the airplane~” Sal joked, and a smile pulled at his cheeks as Megan gave a weak laugh and opened her mouth.

She managed to eat half the bowl, and drink a bit of juice before she turned her face away from the spoon.

“All done? That’s okay. We can heat it up later if you want more. Now, take a few sips of this okay?” Sal handed her the cup, and Megan sipped it before handing it back.

“Thank you, Sally Face.” She felt better now, her stomach wasn’t twisting anymore, and her headache was starting to clear just a bit.

“You’re welcome. Now, you rest here. I have to go make a phone call.”

Megan nodded and shut her eyes, slipping off into sleep peacefully.

Sal sat by her for a minute before he got up and took out his phone, dialing Larry’s number and tapping his foot anxiously until he answered.

“What’s up, babe?” Larry’s voice spoke through the receiver, the muffled sound of Sanity’s Fall in the background.

“Okay this is gonna sound really crazy, but I need you to go and get me a few things,” Sal said, voice pitched low as he kept an eye on Megan from the kitchen.

“Whatcha need?”

“I need you to go down to CVS and pick me up some children’s cold medicine. And a thermometer. Tissues too.”

“You sick, Sal?”

“It’s not for me. I’ll explain when you get here, I promise.”

“Alright. Give me twenty minutes.”

Sal nodded and the two said their goodbyes before Sal realized tonight was supposed to have been date night. He swore softly so he wouldn’t wake Megan and realized that their plans would have to be moved.

Megan gave a small cry, and Sal came to sit beside her again, taking her hand in his and flipping the cool cloth over. “It’s okay, sweetie. I’m here.”

Megan seemed to calm down after that, and Sal took this moment to look her over.

Her hair was tangled and dirty, and her face was smeared with whatever had been in the bathroom. Poor thing. She looked so small lying there, bundled up in the throw blanket from Sal’s bed and wearing his shirt.

Sal thought back to the last date he and Larry had been on, how the conversation of children in their future had come up. Adoption, of course, had been their first choice, and asking Ash to be surrogate was the second. But all of that was supposed to happen _after_ they moved out and got married. Not before.

“Life hardly ever works out the way you want it to,” Lisa had once told him, and Sal agreed that that was true.

Oh Jesus, their parents. What was he supposed to tell their parents? It wasn’t as simple as, “Hey dad, meet your new grandchild, the now living version of a girl who was murdered in the 70s.”

The door opened, and Sal looked up, putting a finger to the lips of his mask in a gesture to keep silent.

Larry looked at his boyfriend, then at the shivering little girl on the couch, then back at Sal. “Um, I’m going to assume you have an explanation,” he asked.

Sal shook his head, “I wish. I really do. I went up to see her since it’s supposed to be her birthday, and when I went in to check on her she was like this. She’s sick, Larry.”

“Well, I can see that. But how is she here? Alive?”

“I don’t know but all I know is that this could be good.”

“How, Sal? We don’t know anything about kids. And it’s not like we can pass her off on our parents.”

“She didn’t get a chance to live when she was alive, Lar. She has that now. And I’m more than willing to be there for her.”

Larry was looking at him like he was crazy, but the taller male sighed and shook his head, smiling at his partner.

“You aren’t gonna let this go are you?” he said.

Sal smiled, even though he knew Larry couldn’t see it and nodded. “Nope.”

“Well, guess we’re parents now. I mean, we were pretty much acting like her parents anyway.”

Sal felt like he’d been struck by lightning. “Of course!”

Megan whimpered and Sal lowered his voice. “Do you remember that ghost in Maine? When we went up there for vacation?”

“The one that wasn’t technically real but existed because people believed in it?”

“Yes! Larry, what if that’s what happened? You said it yourself, we were taking care of her, loving her. For god’s sake, I wrote her a lullaby and we sat with her all night after she found out the truth of what her father did.”

“I’m not following.”

“We brought her back. We loved her so much we brought her back. Remember when we were talking about moving?”

“Yeah, you had a complete breakdown because we’d have to leave her behind.”

“Exactly! Look, I don’t know about you, but I’m not leaving her here.”

“Chill, Sally Face. I wasn’t asking you to. Look, what you’re saying makes sense, and right now it’s the only explanation we have. So let’s go with it.”

The two young men looked down at the sleeping girl and then back up at each other before sighing. It was going to be a long night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sal and Larry discover the terror of having a sick child on your hands

Getting a sick child to take their medicine was hard, Sal and Larry realized.

Not that either of them could blame her, the children's Motrin Larry had brought smelled awful. But she needed it to get well so that lead them to Larry using an old tactic his mother had used.

Bribery.

“I'll give you two cookies if you take your medicine, Megan,” Larry said as he squatted down to look the little girl in the eye.

Megan looked up at him, her eyes watery from her illness. “Chocolate chip?” she asked meekly.

Larry laughed at that, “Even better. Double stuff oreo.”

The way Megan lit up at that was almost comical, but she opened her mouth and let Larry spoon the medicine in.

With a shudder, she swallowed and gagged, grateful for the apple juice Sal gave her afterward, and the cookies Larry placed in her small hand.

“A deal's a deal. Now, why don't you go watch some tv while Sal and I talk, ok?”

Megan nodded and walked the short distance to the couch, curling back up in her blanket with Gizmo beside her.

The look Sal gave Larry when the taller looked at him could only be described as motherly disapproval.

“Oh come on. She took the medicine, didn't she?” Larry raised his hands in defense. “Besides, your plan wasn’t working.”

Sal grumbled a bit under his breath but relented. “I know, I know.”

For a moment the two were silent before Larry spoke.

“What are we gonna tell our parents?” he asked.

Sal sighed, “I've been thinking the same thing. We could tell them the truth but-”

“They'd think we'd lost our minds, babe. And the last thing either of us needs is a trip up to Oswald Asylum.”

“Well, what do you suggest?”

Larry went silent, pondering the situation and their place in it before snapping his fingers, “I've got it! We tell them we found her on the fifth floor, that shes that hobo's daughter and he left her there.”

“That won't stop them from turning her over to the police.”

“Tell them we already told them. And that the cops agreed that it'd be best if she stayed with us for now.”

It wasn't foolproof, but it was a plan. And right now, it was all they had.

So, when Henry and Lisa came home, Sal told them exactly what he and Larry had rehearsed; that they had heard a noise above them and went to check it out, and found Megan.

Their parents bought it with no trouble at all, and Sal breathed a sigh of relief.

“Well, if she's staying here she's gonna need some new clothes,” Lisa said over dinner.

Megan, who had fallen asleep after a good bath and a little more soup, was fast asleep in Sal's room, the young man more than happy to take the couch or, better yet, spend the night with his boyfriend in the basement.

“Sal and I are gonna go shopping tomorrow. Walmart has stuff on sale since Summer is ending.” Larry piped up.

“Well, you two be careful. It's been stormy lately.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

When ten o'clock rolled around, Sal decided to head downstairs with Larry instead of sleeping on the couch, despite the nagging feeling he shouldn't.

“Are you sure you don't mind watching her?” He asked Lisa as he loitered by the door.

Lisa gave her step-son a sincere smile, “Sal, I know a few things about children. You go enjoy your night. Megan is in good hands.”

Sal flushed to the tips of his ears in shame. Of course, Lisa knew how to handle a sick child. She was a mother.

So, against his better judgment, Sal let Larry lead him to the elevator.

Sal's judgment later turned out to be correct in the form of a phone call at two in the morning.

Groggily, Sal fumbled for his phone and picked up with a grumbled greeting.

Lisa's panicked tone had him awake in seconds; “Sal, your father and I are taking Megan to the hospital. She's having trouble breathing and her temperature won't go down.”

“We'll meet you outside,” Sal said, not bothering to hang up as he scrambled to put his clothes back on.

Sal's hurried movements woke Larry, who sat up and squinted at his boyfriend in the dim light. “Wha's goin on?”

“Lisa and Dad are taking Megan to the hospital. Her fever isn't going down, and she can't breathe.”

The thought of Megan, who had just gotten be chance to live, being in danger woke Larry as well, and the two hurriedly dressed and rushed to meet their parents outside, where Lisa had Megan bundled up in her arms.

The twenty-minute car ride to the hospital was the longest Sal could remember. The whole way, he sat in the backseat with Megan on his lap, trying to soothe her, and praying to whatever deity had granted her life that they wouldn't take it from her again.

As soon as they arrived, Megan was whisked away, and Lisa began to fill out the forms necessary. Sal sat on the hard waiting room chair, hands nervously fiddling with his hair.

Larry grabbed his partner by the wrist, pressing his lips to Sal's knuckles. “Take a breath, Sally Face. She'll be okay,” he whispered.

“She's so small…” Sal whispered. “What if-”

“No. You aren't gonna sit here and play the ‘what-if’ game. Megan is gonna be just fine.”

It took two hours before a doctor came in and called, “Mrs. Fisher?”

Lisa stood up and made her way to the doctor. Sal couldn't hear them over the pounding of his heart, but from Lisa's expression, it couldn't be but so bad.

Lisa turned to look at her boys, the two of them looking like worried first-time parents, and it clicked for her that that's what they might as well have been. During the brief time she'd interacted with Megan, the little girl spoke highly of Sal and Larry, comparing them to her own mother and saying how she wanted Sal to sing her a lullaby before she went to bed.

“Its pneumonia,” Lisa told them. “They think she'll recover in a few days.”

Sal visibly deflated at the news, leaning back and sinking down in his seat with a relieved sigh. Larry gave a sigh as well, his grip on Sal's hand loosening as he looked at him with a small smile.

“See? I told you she'd be okay.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If these chapters seem a bit short, that's because they're being written on my phone and then edited on my laptop. So please, bear with me.

The fifth floor was damp and cold, Sal could understand how Megan had gotten sick.

Technically, he shouldn't have been up here at all, but he couldn't help but worry what Stacy would think when she looked for Megan and her daughter wasn't there.

Megan was asleep in Larry's apartment since they had decided it was warmer there, close to the boiler and she seemed to enjoy Larry's company.

So while his boyfriend babysat, Sal made his way to the bedroom of 504.

“Stacy?” he called out into the darkness.

The gearboy lit up in his hand and with the press of a button, Sal was able to see the late Mrs. Holmes, impaled on the mattress springs and gurgling.

However, this time she seemed to be trying to form words.

“Where...is...Megan…” her voice was a gurgled whisper, and the sound of it sent a chill down Sal's spine.

“She's safe, I promise.”

“Where...is...she…”

“She's with Larry. You remember him right?”

“I need...her...here…”

“She can't come up here, Stacy. She's...she's not like you anymore. Being up here isn't safe for her anymore.”

Stacy turned her eyes on Sal, and the look in them froze the blood in Sal's veins.

The blue-haired boy took a step back as Stacy reached for him, her gurgled yell echoing in the room.

“Give me my daughter!”

Sal grabbed his gearboy and fled, slamming the bedroom door behind him and locking it.

After that, he didn't stop running until he was in the elevator, heart hammering in his chest.

“Jesus...Jesus Fuck…” Sal leaned his head back against the cold metal, sliding down to sit on the floor.

His legs felt weak, either from the fear or the sudden cardio, and his hands were shaking. He hadn't been this scared since his last encounter with the red-eyed demon.

The elevator dinged as it descended, and Sal struggled to even his breathing before Megan and Larry could see him.

He hoped Megan was asleep because right now a good hard hug from his boyfriend was what he needed.

Walking into B1 was like taking a breath of fresh air, and it gave Sal the strength to walk to the couch and promptly collapse onto it.

Larry tiptoed out of the bedroom that had once belonged to Lisa but was now where Megan had taken up residence. He hadn't expected Sal to be sitting on the couch, and the sudden startle had the taller male jumping.

“Jesus Sal, don't pop out of nowhere like that!” Larry half-whispered and Sal realized Megan was probably asleep.

Thank God.

Sal all but lunged into Larry's arms, and although the taller male stumbled, he caught the two of them.

“Whoa. What's the matter? I mean, I'm not complaining about a hug but you don't seem to be okay.”

Larry ran a hand up and down Sal's back. He was surprised to find that Sal was shaking, and damp with sweat too.

“Whoa. C'mon babe, let's sit down.”

Guiding Sal to the couch was the easy part. Getting the story behind his fear? Not so much.

“Let's take this off, okay? You'll breathe easier.” Larry's hands reached for the mask, and Sal cried out.

His hands gripped the straps keeping the prosthetic in place. “No! Megan will see!”

“Easy, baby blue. Megan is out like a light. I just want you to be comfortable, and if you're comfortable with it on, it stays on.”

The two were quiet for a bit before Sal shook his head again and Larry nodded.

“Alright then. Do you wanna tell me what's got you so upset?”

Sal took a deep breath, then explained what he had seen in 504.

When he was done, Larry sighed heavily.

“Great. We got an angry mama ghost on our hands.”

“I don't want Megan going up there. She could…” What Sal meant to say was “she could get hurt” but what came out was; “She could go back to being…”

Larry pulled him closer, and Sal heard him take a shaky breath.

“No fucking way. I'm not gonna let anything happen to our girl, Sal. I promise.”

Our girl…

Sal smiled. He liked the sound of that.

~*~

“Sally?” Megan's voice jolted Sal out of his sleep, and he sat up at the sound of the distress in her voice.

“One second, Megan.” Sal felt blindly for his prosthetic and cinched the straps behind his head before sitting up.

Megan was wearing one of the new nightgowns he and Larry had gotten for her, and she was dragging her large stuffed rabbit behind her. Her face was flushed, and she looked afraid.

“What's the matter, honey?” Sal asked as he pulled himself out of bed and walked over to her.

He felt her cheeks and forehead, not at all surprised to find she was still warm.

“I don't feel good. I think I'm gonna be sick.” Megan groaned and Sal knew that tone.

That was the tone of “I'm gonna throw up” so Sal took her by the hand and lead her to the bathroom.

Not a moment too soon either, because as soon as Sal drew Megan's hair back, the girl hunched over and began to retch.

All Sal could do was rub her back and hold her hair until she was done, then wipe her face with a cool cloth and sit with her on the floor as she whimpered.

“I know, honey. I know you don't feel well.” Sal ran his fingers through her hair, humming to her gently. “Let's go back to bed, okay?”

Megan nodded and let Sal pick her up, making little to no protest as she was tucked back into bed and Sal crawled in next to her.

“Sally?” she asked timidly, her small fingers gripping the loose collar of his shirt.

“Hm?”

“Are you and Larry gonna be my parents now?” The question had been on her mind ever since that first night with Sal and Larry looking after.

Sal froze then looked down at the little girl curled against his chest. “Do you want us to be?”

Megan went silent and still, and for a moment Sal thought she'd fallen asleep, but he was proved wrong when Megan nodded and whispered, “Yes.”

Sal lifted his prosthetic and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, “Then that's what we'll be.”

~*~

“So you’re telling me that you just found her?” Todd still sounded like he was in disbelief, but he had listened to Sal tell how Megan had come back and waited until the end to say anything.

Sal nodded, looking over towards the couch where Megan and Neil were sitting, the two of them absorbed in the tv.

Sal grimaced under his prosthetic. Glitter Ponies. Of all the shows, why this one? Sal couldn’t stand it, not since Charley.

He noted, with satisfaction, that Megan didn’t seem all that interested in it either. He watched as she leaned and whispered something to Neil, who nodded and changed the channel to some type of nature documentary.

“Sal, that doesn’t make much sense. If that’s possible, then why don’t people come back to life when their loved ones miss them?” Todd’s voice brought Sal away from the two on the couch, and he shrugged in response.

“I don’t know, Todd. The only thing I can think of is that it’s the same as that ghost in Maine.”

“The one who tried to throw Ash out of the window?”

“No, the other one. The one in the old sack by the shore.”

“Oh, that one.” Todd seemed to be contemplating something, then nodded. “Well, one way or another she’s here. And seems quite attached to you by the way.”

Sal flushed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah. Larry and I...to be honest, we were talking about adoption the day before I found her. But that was supposed to happen, well, _later._ But we don’t mind having her. We love her.”

Todd smiled at his friend, then looked over to the couch, waving at Neil who smiled and waved back. “We’ve been talking about it too. Adoption. But that’ll be after the wedding.”

“Oh Jesus, I forgot. Sorry, Todd. You don’t mind us bringing her, do you?”

“It’s no problem, Sal. I know you probably don’t want to leave her with a babysitter since your parents are invited too.”

“Yeah. We haven’t even gone shopping yet, though. Guess we’ll have to do that tomorrow since she’s feeling better now.”

The two were silent, watching Neil and Megan on the couch.

“You and Neil are gonna be great parents,” Sal said at last.

Todd looked at his friend and smiled. “You and Larry too. Or should I say, you are good parents?”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A shopping trip and a big reveal

“Hold my hand when we cross the street, Megan,” Sal said as he looked at the little girl beside him.

She looked like a different person compared to how she'd been when Sal found her.

The seven-year-old had gained a bit of weight, and her purple hair had been swept up into a french braid by Larry's talented fingers, which had been practicing on Sal's hair for the past three years.

Today, Megan had decided that she and Sal should match, in case they got separated. So, the two of them were dressed in denim jackets, black skirts, and white t-shirts paired with black boots. Sal had even traded his pigtails for a braid of his own, matching white hair tie and all.

Their “mommy and me” outfits, as Larry called them, had earned them a few compliments since they left the apartment, even Mr. Addison had told them how charming they looked.

“Okay, Sally.” Megan chirped, her hand grabbing onto Sal's before they crossed the crosswalk and into the mall parking lot.

Once inside, the real hunt began.

Sal had only ever shopped for himself, or occasionally his father or Larry, never for a little girl.

A thought struck him then, as he was looking at the list of shops. He dressed how he wanted, not according to any gender stereotype or cliche clique bullshit. Why should Megan have to?

“Okay Megan, where are we going?” Sal looked down and asked.

Megan looked around a minute before pointing towards the neon-lit doorway of a shop.

Inside were clothes that could only be described as “baby punk.” Small leather jackets, plaid skirts and jeans, and graphic tees as far as the eye could see.

“Good choice,” Sal told her as he approached a worker, asking after the formal section, and thanking them when he was pointed in the right direction.

“We're shopping for a wedding, right?” Megan asked as she flipped through the racks.

Sal hummed in agreement beside her, flicking through items he wished he was small enough to fit in. Kids got all the cool stuff, it seemed.

“What about this then?”

Megan held up a black dress that reminded Sal of Wednesday Addams, except this one was pink with a black collar.

“That's really pretty Megan. Why don't we hold onto it and look at a few more things, hm?”

“Okay, mama.”

Sal froze, unsure of what to say. Should he correct her? Just let it go? What was he supposed to do?

“Or should I call you papa instead?” Megan continued without missing a beat.

Sal smiled, “Whatever works for you, Megan.”

~*~

In the end, Megan had decided on her first dress. Sal had never been more proud as she stepped out of the dressing room and struck a pose.

“You look wonderful, sweetie. Now, let's go hit up Payless and get you some shoes and stockings ok?”

Megan was all too eager to browse the walls of shoes, settling on a pair of black Mary Janes after Sal had to talk her out of a pair of ruby slippers that were too small.

After that, it was time for lunch before calling Larry to come and get them.

Megan, Sal had learned, was a picky eater. So, finding something she'd eat was a bit of a hassle.

In the end, Megan agreed to a corn dog and lemonade from Knockout Burger while Sal got a slice of pizza with his favorite toppings; pepperoni and black olives.

Megan stuck her tongue out at that, and Sal laughed. “You might change your mind once you're older. Your taste buds change every seven years.”

Megan shrugged, and after swallowing a bite of her corndog, looked at Sal, “What are you wearing to the wedding, papa?”

Sal thought about it for a moment, trying to remember exactly what it was he'd picked out. “I've got a dress at home, actually. It's dark blue and comes with a nice suit jacket.”

In truth, the dress had been Ash's, but she'd gotten too tall for it once her growth spurt hit in their senior year, so it had gone to Sal.

Sal's phone rang, the beginning of a metal cover of Careless Whisper ringing out from his pocket before he checked it.

Just a message from Larry saying he was in the parking lot beside the Chipotle.

“Larry's here, Megan. Let's get home and show him your new dress, hm?

~*~

By the time Megan fell asleep, it was well past everyones bedtime. Even Sal, the night owl of the three of them, was starting to nod off on the couch as Larry tucked Megan into bed.

“Hey, wake up.” Larry gave his boyfriend's shoulder a gentle shake, which changed to a pat when Sal jerked awake.

“I'm up, I'm up,” Sal said with a poorly concealed yawn.

“Let's go to bed, hm? It's been a long day for both of us.”

Sal nodded and pulled himself off the couch, following Larry into the bedroom.

“How'd the interview go?” Sal managed to ask as he sat on the side of the bed and unclipped his mask.

While Megan and Sal had gone shopping, Larry had been at an interview for an art school in the city about thirty minutes away.

“It went great, actually. They said they really like my work,” Larry answered.

“That's good. That means you'll get in.”

“I sure hope so. But those commissions online aren't gonna pay for an apartment, let alone put food on the table for the three of us.”

“Hey, don't go being pessimistic. Those commissions are a great way to get your name out there.”

“Whatever you say, babe. How was the shopping trip?”

“Really good, actually.” Sal contemplated what Megan had called him earlier, and decided now was as good a time as any. “Megan called me ‘mama’ while we were out.”

Larry turned from the dresser where he was looking for a clean pair of pajama pants, eyes wide and mouth open in shock.

“What did...what did you say?” he asked after a moment.

Sal shrugged. “I let it go. Like you said, she's our girl. If she wants me to be her mama or papa or whatever then that's fine with me.”

Larry was silent as he watched Sal go about his nightly routine. By the time Sal had finished cleaning his mask and leaving his eye in the glass of peroxide by the bed, Larry still hadn't said anything.

“Dude, are you ok? Say something so I know the shock didn't kill you.” Sal stood up from where he was sitting on the side of the bed and made his way to his boyfriend, waving a hand in front of his face.

“Yeah, yeah I'm good. Just wondering about something.”

“What is it?”

“Do you think we should get married?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Psst. You guys should go check out my friend's ask blog https://ask-modern-sal.tumblr.com/ They're an amazing artist and their blog deserves more love!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to everyone who held out on this story. I know it's been a while since the last update but this chapter was really hard to write.  
> I'm working on chapter 6 as we speak, so it shouldn't be too long before that's up as well.  
> So, without a word of delay, enjoy!

“Come again?” Sal looked at his boyfriend, all traces of sleep gone from his face.

Yes, they'd talked about marriage, but in the half-joking way that young couples in love did. But...the idea of it was nice. The two of them bound together by love and then by law. Ok, that sounded kinda creepy now that Sal thought about it.

“I'm serious, Sal. I wanna spend the rest of my life with you.” Larry reached up and cupped Sa;'s face in his hands, staring into his eye. Sal had always loved when Larry held him like this and melted into his boyfriend's touch.

“Are you sure? I mean, you'll be waking up next to this,” Sal gestured to his face, “every day for the rest of your life. Are you sure you want that?”

Larry smiled, that heart-warming, belly-fluttering smile that never failed to make Sal weak in the knees, and brought his hands up to cradle Sal's face. “Dude, getting to wake up next to you is a fucking gift, and I'm gonna treasure it as long as it lasts. So, what do you say, Sally Face? Will you marry me?”

Sal smiled, blinking away the tears that were trying to surface. God, what had he done to deserve this man in front of him? Whatever it was, he was glad he'd done it.

“Yes,” Sal choked out. “Yes, I'll marry you.”

~*~

Turns out, Larry had already been planning on proposing, but he'd had a more romantic setting planned.

“I was gonna make you dinner, light a couple candles, get down on one knee, the whole shebang,” Larry informed him over breakfast the morning after the proposal.

Sal laughed into his mug of English Breakfast, “Sound nice. You can still make me a candlelit dinner for Valentine's Day.” 

“But then you'll know about it!”

“Sh, you'll wake Megan.”

The squeak of the bedroom door and the soft patter of slippered feet informed the two that she was already up.

“Morning kiddo,” Larry greeted her with a tousle of her hair, “You sleep okay?”

Megan gave a grumbled acknowledgment and pulled herself into a chair at the table.

Larry chuckled at her sleepy eyes and scrunched up face, “Not a morning person, are ya?”

“No one in this apartment is a morning person.” Sal piped in from where he was plating scrambled eggs.

“I am!” 

“No, you're really not.” 

Sal set the food on the table along with a glass of juice for Megan, coffee for Larry, and tea for himself. He loved the smell of coffee, but he hated the taste. 

“Thank you, papa,” Megan half-grumbled as she began to eat.

Sal smiled at Larry's raised eyebrows and shrugged, “You're welcome, sweetheart. After you're done eating you can watch some tv before its time to go.”

“Where are we going?” 

“You're going to spend the day with grandma and grandpa, I'm going to help Todd and Neil with their last-minute wedding stuff, and Larry you're coming with me.”

“Way to voluntell me, Sal,” Larry grumbled.

“You already said you would. Tomorrow is the big day, and tonight is the rehearsal dinner.”

“Joy.”

“Now don't be like that. If you really don't want to come, I can make an excuse for you.”

“I'm joking, babe. Of course, I'll go with you.” 

Megan coughed and the banter between the newly engaged couple was broken up.

“Are you feeling any better, Megan?” Sal asked, surprised at the maternal tone of his voice. For a moment, he'd sounded just like his mother.

Megan nodded. “My chest doesn't hurt as much anymore, and my tummy feels better too.” 

“That's good. You ready to go spend the day with grandma and grandpa?”

“That's your mama and papa's daddy, right?” 

“Mhm.” 

“Can I take my bunny?”

Sal chuckled, “Only if you finish your breakfast, sweetie.”

“Okay, papa.”

~*~

“You could have told us you boys were keeping her,” was the first thing Lisa said when her son and stepson came through the apartment door to fetch Megan.

Sal and Larry froze, blinking at one another then at Lisa before Sal heaved a sigh.

“I'm sorry, Lisa,” he said. “We wanted to tell you, but we were worried about what you'd say.”

“Well, I think you're both a little young to be parents, but it's not like I can stop you. I was nineteen when I had Larry, after all. But if you boys ever need help, you come to us, ok?” 

Sal and Larry nodded. “Yes ma'am,” they answered, feeling like children scolded for being in the cookie jar.

Lisa smiled and tousled their hair, before she made her way to the living room where Megan was fast asleep, curled up with Gizmo while some nature documentary played on the tv. From where Sal stood, it appeared to be about seals. He watched as Lisa lifted Megna into her arms and carried the sleeping child over to Larry, who took her without hesitation.

“How was she, mom?” Larry asked, his large hands rubbing Megan’s back as he shifted her to lean against his shoulder.

Sal’s heart skipped a beat as he watched Larry cradling their daughter, and he thought of something Maple had said when Soda was born, “I never knew how much I loved Chug until I saw how much he loved Soda.” 

“As good as gold and better. Certainly better than you were at seven,” Lisa answered, and handed Sal a bag. “Here, a few things for her. Some old toys of Larbear’s that I held on to and some new ones your father and I picked up.”

“Lisa you didn’t have to do that.” Sal tried to give her the bag back, but Lisa shook her head. 

“Take it, Sal. They’ve been gathering dust in the closet for years, it’ll be good for them to be loved by a kid again.”

Sal smiled and hugged Lisa, thanking her before he moved away, “There’s something Larry and I want to tell you.” 

Lisa looked between the two of them, her eyes searching for whatever it was. “Are you two moving?” She was expecting that, with Larry applying for art school and the two of them dying to spread their wings away from Addison Apartments.

“Not yet. Last night I finally popped the question.” Larry answered with a blush, and Lisa gave a small squeal, which she quickly muffled behind her hands.

“Oh!” She cried, “Oh boys! I’m so happy for you!” 

She went to hug them, then seemed to remember her sleeping grandchild and thought better of it. 

“You two go get her settled in. We can talk more after the wedding tomorrow.”

~*~

“Babe?” Sal stuck his head out of the bathroom door, looking around the apartment, “Larry?”

“What's up?” Ah, Larry must be helping Megan with her hair.

“Have you seen my black tights?”

“Top drawer, left side, under the uh…” Larry's voice trailed off before he spoke again, “under the pink underwear.”

Sal snickered and adjust his towel around his waist before heading back to his and Larry's bedroom. Sure enough, there they were, right under his favorite pair of pink briefs.

Getting into the tights was harder than Sal remembered, but it seemed he'd also forgotten that spandex tights and wet skin  _ did not _ mix.

And he was promptly reminded of this when he lost his balance attempting to put this on and his face met the carpet with a solid thump.

“Motherfucker!” Sal swore as he attempted to untangle himself from the polyester and spandex prison.

A laugh from the doorway drew his attention, and he looked up to see Larry leaning on the doorframe, the sleeves of his button-down shirt rolled up to his elbows and his hair pulled back into a man bun. Sal fell in love with him all over again.

“You need any help there, bluebird?” Larry asked, interrupting Sal's ogling.

Sal blinked and sat up on the floor, holding his hands out, “Help me get these things off so I can go finish drying off. We're gonna be late.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Game Theory Dee-Dee voice* Uh-oh, how unfortunate. Uh-oh, how unfortunate. This is a thing I hate to do, but the rest has to go in a "part 2"  
> Sorry guys. I want the wedding to be it's own chapter since it's such a big deal so you'll have to settle for a filler chapter for now.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally get to see Todd and Neil's wedding, and an old friend from Sal's past makes a reappearance.

The wedding was being held twenty minutes away at the Nockfell Country Club, which Sal and Larry hadn't even been aware of until they typed the address into Google Maps.

“How did they afford this place?” Larry asked as the three of them walked into the lobby, where everyone was gathered.

“I think Neil's parents are club members,” Sal speculated as he adjusted the cropped jacket that had come with his knee-length navy dress. 

The three stood in the lobby for a moment before spotting Ashley and Jenna, who waved them over.

“Look at you guys! A picture-perfect family!” Ash complimented as she raised her camera and snapped a photo of them.

“Thanks, Ash,” Larry said as he hugged her.

Jenna bent down to be eye level with Megan, which was probably not easy in the stilettos she was wearing and smiled. “You must be Megan,” she said.

Megan nodded, observing the strange girl with pale hair and dark skin, “I am. And you're Aunt Ash's girlfriend, Jenna.” 

“I am. I like your dress. It's very pretty.”

“So's yours. Yellow looks nice on you.”

Jenna flushed at the compliment. “Thank you.”

“Has anybody seen either of the grooms yet?” Larry asked Ash.

Ash looked around then shook her head. “I don't think either of them is here yet. Last I heard from Todd he was still getting ready and Neil and Travis were going over the vows.”

“How is our resident pastor? I haven't seen him since he hauled ass to the city.”

“He's doing great actually. Getting away from his dad did him a lot of good, and he even said he's got a surprise for us later.”

“A surprise? Okay, that doesn't sound threatening at all.”

“It isn't anything bad, don't worry.”

“Why? Are you in on it?”

Ash smiled, a twinkle in her eye, “Maybe. Anyway, let's go get seated. Todd said he wants us near the front with his family.”

Without another word, Ash lead them to their seats while Sal followed behind Larry, holding Megan's hand tightly to keep her from darting away to compliment everyone on their clothes.

Weddings had never been Sal's favorite social event. Yes, he'd wondered what his own would be like and the image of it in his mind had changed several times over the years, but it had never seemed to be a big deal.

At his father's wedding, Sal had been part of the bridal party, a bridesmaid to be exact, so he'd had to care about it. He'd had to help find Lisa a dress, make sure the caterer and the DJ were on time, and that the photographer and venue were all in alignment. At the end of it all, he'd been exhausted, both physically from too little sleep and emotionally from far too much social interaction, and had to be forcibly carried away from the reception before it was over. 

This wedding, however, was different. There were no last-minute calls to the florist, no mad-dash to repair broken shoes and replace missing jewelry. This time he could sit back and enjoy it.

“Isn't everything pretty, daddy?” Megan's voice roused Sal from his half-daydreaming state and he blinked, about to answer when he realized Megan hadn't been speaking to him.

She was turned to Larry, eyes sparkling as she took in the fairy lights strung up and down the aisle and the tissue paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling.

Larry shot Sal a panicked look, which his partner merely returned with a shrug before he answered the little girl.

“Yeah. It sure is Megan, just like you.”

Megan's cheeks went pink and she giggled into her hands as the room slowly grew silent.

The music that had been playing on the speakers stopped, and was replaced by a soft classical melody as the relatives of the grooms were lead down the aisle.

First came Todd’s grandparents, a lovely older couple celebrating almost fifty years of marriage, and then it was Neil’s grandmother. His grandfather, sadly, hadn’t lived to see his grandson get married, but his wife walked the aisle like a queen, dressed in a beautiful rose gold silk suit skirt with golden beads in her hair. 

After the grandparents came the bridesmaids, which were few in number. Ash, Maple, and Jenna all walked down the aisle in a straight line, their dresses looking like silver waterfalls. Whatever material that was, Sal would have to ask about it for his own upcoming wedding. 

Next came Chug, who looked extremely well-dressed. His suit had been tailored perfectly, and his tie gleamed in the light. His hair had been slicked back, probably by Maple and a king’s ransom’s worth of hair gel. With a grin, Chug followed on the tails of the bridal party and stood by the altar, rocking back and forth on his heels a bit. 

And then there was Neil, dressed in a white suit and looking like he was either going to cry or be sick. Hopefully the former. Please be the former, Sal prayed.

Travis followed behind Neil, giving a nod to Sal and Larry as he passed them. 

The music changed again, this time to a wedding march, and everyone stood, turning to face the door as Soda came down the aisle, her little basket of flower petals on her arm as she tossed them around her feet. She waved at Megan, who grinned and waved back.

“Isn’t she precious?” Sal whispered, “She looks just like Maple.”

Larry made a noise of acknowledgment, but his attention was drawn to the back of the room again as one of the two most important members of the wedding procession made their way down the aisle.

Todd was dressed in a white suit and shoes, much like his groom was, but Sal took note of the lace edging on the jacket sleeves, and the blue bowtie. Nice touches. Todd was flanked by his father and mother, it seemed they still hadn’t decided who was going to give him away so he had decided they both should. Another nice touch. 

Travis raised his hands, and everyone sat. The group quieted, and it seemed the entire world had stilled for this moment. Sal hoped the same would happen on his wedding day. 

“First, I’d like to begin by welcoming everyone and thanking each and every one of you for being here on this happiest of days.” Travis started. “It’s no accident that each of you is here today, and each of you was invited to be here because you represent someone important in the individual and collective lives of Todd and Neil.

“I truly can’t think of a better venue than this lovely place for an occasion that I know is not only monumental for the wedded-couple-to-be but for all of us who are lucky to know and love them as individuals but even more so as a perfect pairing.”

“He talks a big game, but he didn’t even know this place existed till they gave him the directions,” Larry grumbled.

Sal chuckled and gave him a light smack to shut him up. “Shut up. Listen.”

“The most remarkable moment in life is when you meet the person who makes you feel complete. The person who makes the world a beautiful and magical place. The person with whom you share a bond so special that it transcends normal relationships and becomes something so pure and so wonderful, that you can’t imagine spending another day of your life without them.” Travis’s eyes shifted for a moment, away from the congregation and to someone sitting near Sal. He looked familiar, but Sal couldn’t place the face. “For Todd, that happened about 2 years ago when he met me and we became best friends. But about 7 years ago he met Todd, who is pretty wonderful, too. I know how deeply these two care for and love one another, and I feel privileged to be here today among all of you as a witness of their commitment to a lifetime of love for one another.

“I think I’ve had the good fortune to meet most of you here today at some point or another, but for those of you whom I haven’t met, my name is Travis, I’m 23, an Aries, and I enjoy long walks on the beach, Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain.”

The congregation laughed, and Sal looked at Larry. When had Travis gotten a sense of humor? Had city life been that good for him?

“Anyway, I know you all didn’t come here to listen to me talk, you came here to see this lovely couple get married. So, let’s get on with it shall we?”

Travis opened to book in his hands, and cleared his throat, “Dearly beloved friends and honored guests, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of Todd and Neil in marriage. This isn’t something to be taken lightly, it’s something that should be entered into thoughtfully, with much care. 

“Now, Todd, do you take Neil to be your husband? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him, forsaking all others, and holding only unto him forevermore?”

“I do,” Todd said, loud and clear, and there was a note of tears in his voice. 

“Ten bucks says he starts crying before the wedding’s even over,” Larry whispered.

Sal rolled his eyes, “You’re on.”

“And do you, Neil, take Todd to be your husband? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him, forsaking all others, and holding only unto him forevermore?”

“I do,” Neil said almost breathlessly.

“Now, Todd and Neil will exchange rings as a symbol of love and commitment to each other.  Rings are a precious metal; they are also made precious by you wearing them. Your wedding rings are special; they enhance who you are. They mark the beginning of your long journey together. Your wedding ring is a circle—a symbol of love never-ending. It is the seal of the vows you have just taken to love each other without end.

“Todd, please place the ring on Neil’s left hand and repeat after me; As a sign of my love.” Travis gestured to Chug, who handed out the rings.

“As a sign of my love.” Todd echoed, slipping the silver ring onto Neil’s left hand. 

“That I have chosen you.”

“That I have chosen you.”

“Above all else.”

“Above all else.”

“With this ring, I thee wed.”

“With this ring, I thee wed.” Todd sniffled, and Sal knew he was going to be out ten dollars by the end of the night. Oh well. Maybe a blowjob would make him forget.

“And Neil, same thing,” Travis said. “Place the ring on Todd’s left hand and repeat after me; As a sign of my love,” 

“As a sign of my love,” Neil said, and his voice was thick with tears. Yep, once one got going, the other wasn’t far behind.

“That I have chosen you.”

“That I have chosen you.”

“Above all else.”

“Above all else.”

“With this ring, I thee wed.”

“With this ring, I thee wed.”

“Now you two, go off thinking this is all going to be roses and daisies for the rest of your lives. Marriage takes work and lots of dedication. There’s going to be hardships on the way, but I know you two are strong enough to weather them all together.” Travis smiled and wiped at his eyes. “Now, by the power vested in me by God’s Holy Church and the state of Pennsylvania, I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may kiss the groom.”

It was like a switch had been flipped. Todd swept Neil up in his arms, nearly dipping the redhead as they kissed while the congregation cheered.

The reception was definitely a party bigger than the last wedding Sal had attended. There was an open bar for one thing and a buffet for another. The DJ was pretty good, in his opinion at least, and the music was good enough to dance to. Which Soda and Megan did with relish once Todd and Neil had vacated the floor and the last notes of “Cheek to Cheek” by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong faded out. 

“Now that’s precious.” Maple said as she snapped a picture and settled beside Sal.

Larry nodded, watching the two children with a smile on his face. “Yeah. You wanna dance, Sally Face?”

Sal smiled and took Larry’s hand. “Sure Larbear, why not?”

Almost an hour later, after the cake had been cut and everyone was really getting into the swing of things, Travis came by their table, on the arm of the person he’d been looking at during the wedding. He was a handsome young man, blondish-brown curly hair, brown eyes, pale skin. Sal saw a bit of Italian in his features, and for some reason, he was reminded of a time long before today, when he was still in Jersey with his father.

Everyone had made fun of him for the prosthetic, except for one boy. Zachary Romano had been Sal’s friend once upon a time, but when Sal moved away from Trenton, he’d lost contact with and after moving to Nockfell, communication had dropped entirely. 

“Guys, there’s someone I want you to meet. This is Zach Romano, my boyfriend.” Travis flushed, whether with embarrassment or something else Sal wasn’t sure.

Zach smiled, the snake bite piercings on his lip catching the light, “It’s nice to meet all of you. Travis has told me a lot about you.” 

“Can’t say we’ve heard much about you,” Larry said, and Sal rolled his eyes and elbowed his fiance. 

“Larry! Be nice. Nice to meet you, Sal. Or, should I say ‘nice to see you again?’” Sal chuckled.

Zach looked him up and down for a moment, then gaped in shock, “Sally Face? Well, I’ll be damned. I hardly recognized you. New prosthetic?”

“Not really. Just an old one I fixed up. How have you been, man?”

“Better than ever. You look like you’re doing well.”

“Doing my best.”

“Whoa! Whoa! Time out here! You two know each other?” Larry looked from his fiance to the stranger on Travis’s arm. 

“Yeah! We were neighbors back in Trenton. His mom and mine were friends.” Sal said with a bit of pep in his voice. “Zach was the only one who didn’t turn on me after the accident.”

“Oh,” Larry flushed red, “well, thanks for not being a total dick to Sal.”

“No problem man, just being a decent human being. You must be Larry.” Zach offered his hand and Larry took it.

“Yep. Larry Johnson. Nice to meet you.”

Sal grinned so hard his cheeks ached, whether, from the stretch of the skin or the use of the muscles, he wasn’t sure.

But he was sure of one thing. 

Tonight was a good night, and he hoped there would be many more to follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took so long to write and I'm sorry kept all of you waiting for so long.   
> The truth is, I'm awful at weddings from a third-person perspective. I've always written them from the view of the bride or groom, so this chapter presented a challenge for me and I'm hoping you enjoyed it.  
> Please kuddo, comment, and share this story with your friends if you want to see more!


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